


The Things They Say At Tea Time

by CyborgWrites



Series: Happy Slytherins [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco loves Harry so much, M/M, No Dark Lord, No War AU, Severus is a good godfather, Severus still loves flowers, harry is a dumb soft bean, mild crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2020-11-01 22:11:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20524112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyborgWrites/pseuds/CyborgWrites
Summary: Severus is getting ready for his weekly tea with Draco when his godson bursts in with a most dramatic announcement.





	1. A Most Dramatic Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> Its been a million years since I've written anything resembling a story. I been so busy with... life, bro. Im hoping writing fanfic again will cure my writers block for my og works. Anyway the first place I wanted to come back to was this series. This is also my first drarry fic. Whooo! Please enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco is fucking dramatic and Sev just wants to have tea.

Severus hummed to himself softly as he drifted across his office, tea cups and plates of snacks in hand, setting them on a small table in front of the fireplace still glowing with embers of his floo call with Sirius.

He smiled at the thought of his husband.

Sweet Sirius who always presented him with a flower when they saw each other. Another perk of Sirius travelling the world as a curse breaker. He was able to find rare flowers Severus had never seen in addition to ingredients for his potions. It came in handy as business grew at Severus' apothecary.

Currently, Sirius was in Morrocco, helping a friend remove a curse from his grandmother's ring. 

He knew Draco would want to hear all about what his cousin was up to this week.

Severus sighed.

The boy was so unlike his mother and father.

Now, Severus adored Lucius and Narcissa and knew they loved the boy as if he were the most precious thing on the earth. There were moments in his life when they had very well been the only real family Severus had. Being chosen as Draco's godfather was proof of that bond. But try as Draco might, he couldn't always live up to Lucius', what Severus considered, impossible standards. And he didn't have the calm yet devious demeanor of his mother.

Draco was ambitious, witty and smart... but very emotional and passionate.

Sensitive.

Very much like Sirius.

Draco is older now. Not a little boy anymore. But he and Severus still have their tea time, a step up from the tea parties Draco roped his godfather into when he was small.

Severus let the memory of tiny hands handing him empty cups of make believe tea wash over him. 

It's something they looked forward to every week, a time to relax and catch up with each other. 

Which is why Severus nearly jumped out of his skin when his office door burst open just as he set down the plate of biscuits he knew Draco liked, the plate clattering onto the table, thankfully, and not the floor.

He spun around to find a panting Draco in the doorway, face pale and eyes watering, blown wide as if he'd seen a ghost. 

Severus approached the teen slowly, refraining from reaching out lest he spook him.

"Draco what's happened?"

Draco said nothing for a moment, only looked at him with pleading eyes as if begging him to read his mind so he wouldn't have to say it out loud. 

Severus gave him a pointed look in response. He would not be doing a legilimens when words were available for use.

It was with a shaky exhale that Draco whispered, "I'm in love, Uncle Severus."

"Oh?"

_Oh..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was short but I started late at night and gotta work early in the am. Stay tuned!


	2. The Best Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco begins his 6th year at Hogwarts with some realizations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭😭😭  
I'm so sorry its been almost a year. When I tell y'all I beem going THROUGH IT. But the universe has been telling me to get back TO IT so here I am again hoping I can FINISH this some day.

The Great Hall was alive with chatter as usual that evening. Nothing was different except the fact that Draco was going to die.

He barely registered Pansy's tirade about Blaise's inability to notice her attempts at flirting. His focus was... elsewhere.

He locked eyes with the object of his impending doom.

Challenging green eyes flashed back at him, the distance between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables too small and too large at the same time.

Harry Potter.

They weren't friends. Not anymore... but they weren't NOT friends either. It was a complicated mess of Harry's parents and their relationship with Severus, one being his first best friend and the other his former bully, Draco's own turbulent rivalry with Harry's best friends although Draco found Granger more tolerable than Weasley, and Harry and Draco's inability to stay out of the other's orbit for better or worse.

Usually for worse.

Draco's friends had long since stopped guessing which it would be on any particular day which made Draco feel all the more pathetic for this strange freneminity he had with Harry.

He didn't even remember when it started.

He and Harry had met as children. Had played together, often at Severus' and Sirius' house because Severus felt awkward around James which made Sirius' tentative friendship with the older Potter all the more fragile. But Lily had chosen Sirius as Harry's godfather and so that was that.

But somewhere around when they got to Hogwarts, the playmates had experienced a shift.

The first was that Harry took an immediate liking to Ron Weasley not knowing about the feud between the Weasleys and Malfoys. It had taken Draco and Ron a full year to stop insulting each other on sight but the tense rivalry over Harry's attention remained and it was no better considering Harry and Ron were both sorted into Gryffindor with Granger.

Granger. The only person in the school Draco felt was as smart if not smarter than he was. Always whispering solutions to Harry the way Draco would when they were small. He didn't necessarily hate her for it even if it didn't help that his father expected him to be number one in literally everything.

But it wasn't fair. Harry had been his first.

And then he was everyone's apparently. And Draco kept this to himself because he knew how ridiculous it sounded when he knew...

He knew Harry was as hyperaware of Draco as Draco was of him.

The time for playdates was long past but he figured if Harry really wanted to be around Draco he could have just asked to hang out instead of just following him and picking a fight or watching him when he thought Draco wouldn't notice.

Weirdo.

And yet.

_And yet..._

The Dragon in Draco, that possessive streak, made him feel oddly flattered at this unique attention. It made him want to do something... reckless.

Not breaking eye contact with Harry, he stood from his chair, shivering as green eyes followed the movement.

Turning away he made to leave, not looking back even as Pansy shouted at his back.

"Draco, you haven't finished your dinner!"

He didn't need to look back to know he was being followed.

It was almost a relief when he felt a hand on his back, gripping his robes and pulling him into an alcove.

"What are you up to, Draco?"

Draco laughed humorlessly as strong hands pushed him against a wall and held him there.

"What's it to you, Potter?" He drawled, knowing it would only rile him up more.

Sure enough, Harry huffed, poking him in the chest.

"Don't 'Potter' me, Dray. We both wet the same bed enough as kids to be on a first name basis."

"Well that's a disgusting thing to bring up."

Harry released his hold on him, crossing his arms. Draco immediately missed the contact.

_I really am pathetic..._

"Well you're being a jerk!"

Draco huffed a laugh, giving him an incredulous stare.

"ME? I'M the jerk? You followed me and pulled me in here and pushed me against the bloody wall! AGAIN?! What is that, the fifth time this month? Are you mad!"

Harry shrunk into himself.

"Well.."

But, oh, Draco had had quite enough of beating around the bush.

"You always do this, Harry. We were friends. Best friends, once. But you couldn't figure out how to integrate me and your other friends. Fine. That's...," he paused, willing his voice not to break, "That's fine."

They both knew it wasn't.

"But you still seem to want my attention and instead of just... telling me or, I dunno...ASKING me to hang out you just... stalk me, corner me and interrogate me. It's WEIRD but I LET you do it because- because I-"

He swallowed, Harry having perked up at the massive amount of WORDS as Draco hadn't opened up to him in quite some time.

"Because you?..." he prompted.

"I miss you, too," Draco whispered.

Harry's jaw dropped. "You do?" He breathed, drawing closer and Draco couldn't take it. He stepped aside, putting more distance between them, or trying to but Harry was persistent, grabbing his hand.

"Draco, please... keep- keep talking. I just want to talk. This is all I've wanted."

"Is it?" Draco pressed sharply, ripping his hand away. "Because THIS," he said, gesturing between the both of them, " this you could've had- WE could've had. Ages ago. But that hasn't been the case. So what is it you actually want from me, Harry? Because it's been four years of the same and I'm," he paused, gasping for breath, tears falling as he hadn't realized how close he'd been already to crying," I'm so tired of trying to guess what's in your head and where I stand with you I-"

Lips pressed to his, Harry having moved into his space and kissed him silent.

_Oh_.

Draco froze, eyes squeezing shut as he made to respond to the kiss but as quickly as it happened, Harry tore himself away.

Draco reached for him, wanting to regain the contact.

"Harry..."

"I- I'm sorry, Draco. I shouldn't have- I'mgonnagonow!"

And then he was gone and Draco was alone. Part of him wanted to sink to the floor and cry right there, having had a taste of what he'd wrestled with wanting for so long. But he needed comfort after all of that.

He thought of a warm fire and the smell of flowers.

_Severus._


	3. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M INCONSISTENT, I KNOW.

They sat across from each other in silence following the end of Draco's long-winded explanation of the- well, the everything. The light crackling of burning wood in the fireplace served as the only white noise.

The quiet stretched on for so long that the tea had long since gone cold, Draco opting to eat his feelings and munch miserably on a biscuit as his godfather deliberated.

Severus took it upon himself to break the silence, clearing his throat and startling Draco out of blank agony.

"Am I to understand, Draco, that the immense strain between you and the Potter Spawn the last few years is due to unresolved sexual-"

"Sev! Could you not? And must you call him that? He's Lily's son- not to mention Sirius' godson. Besides, I thought you were over the whole... thing... with James," he trailed off.

Severus shrugged, casually crossing one leg over the other.

"I couldn't resist. Sometimes things change. But not everything. Besides, _you_ are _my_ godson. And I won't stand to see you this distraught- especially not over some foolish boy. The first falling out was hard enough on you and I value your happiness more than anything."

It was true. Severus had helped his friends nurture Draco into a dignified young man. Heartbreak didn't suit the boy and he would string a million spectacled Gryffindors up by their toes for his only godchild even if he had to go through Sirius to do it.

Draco gave him a weak smile, sagging back into his chair with a sigh.

"I just don't know what to do."

"I think you do," Severus drawled, his brow arching for good measure.

Draco's eyes rolled of their own accord.

"I can't just go up to him and confess."

That earned him a snort from the older man. 

"Was he not the one who kissed you? Without permission, I might add! Before running away like a pup with its tail between its legs."

"Exactly! He ran because he regretted it," Draco declared, as if he'd had some grand epiphany.

"Or he's scared," Severus deadpanned.

Draco shook his head.

"No, it's- he's Harry. Harry isn't scared of anything."

"Except his own feelings, apparently."

Draco ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he only indulged in within the walls of the room they were in.

"It doesn't make sense. Surely he wouldn't have just let our friendship end up the way it did if he was harboring feelings for me...right?"

At this, Severus stared into the fire place, his mind in another time and place. When a friend had won his heart with a single flower and cried when he thought he'd been outdone by the grand romantic gestures of his cousins.

"Sometimes, when you're young especially, it's very hard to determine other peoples feelings- never mind your own," he began, his smooth voice barely above a whisper, "I've seen Slytherins who value self-preservation above all else summon extraordinary courage, putting their hearts on the line and risking heartbreak just for a chance to be loved. Gryffindors can also deviate from their typical behavior under special circumstances. Protecting their hearts through willful destruction. Better to destroy something precious yourself so it can't be taken away, after all. Quite the Slytherin trait to have," he finished, turning to Draco with a rueful smile.

"That's sad," Draco said simply, eyes tired.

"It is," Severus agreed, rising from his chair, inclining his head for Draco to follow, the blond getting up to trail after him, out of the room and into the hallway where the door to the indoor green house greeted them just across.

"However, if you can be brave for the two of you for just one moment, Draco, you'll find that your entire life can change," Severus said, walking across and opening the door, leading Draco into his private world of greenery and flowers.

"How do you mean?"

Severus didn't answer, carrying on into the indoor forest until he reached his destination, stopping at a small patch of shimmering blue flowers.

Draco's eyes widened in awe.

"Sev," he breathed, " are these-?"

Severus nodded, bending down to pluck one of the precious flowers, rising to place it gently into Draco's hands, the blond holding it with reverence.

" The very same," he said. "This flower changed my life. And Sirius' life. Forever. Perhaps it can do the same for you."

Draco laughed, a joyous, real laugh, smiling up at him with glistening grey eyes.

He looked his age again at least. 

"I'm glad I can count on you for anything, Severus."

Severus placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes all these fics so far take place in the same universe/timeline. So elements of How the Dungeons Got That Flowery Smell will be mentioned!


	4. New Dogs. Old Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry makes a call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was happening while Draco was with Sirius

By the time Sirius finished laughing, Harry resembled a poppy field. Just red all over.

He glared at his godfather who leaned against his desk wiping tears from his eyes while Harry sank further into his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's not funny!"

This only served to make the older man erupt into another round of laughter, the sound of it echoing throughout the study, which was filled with an eclectic collection of artifacts acquired by Sirius throughout his travels.

"It's actually hilarious."

"Keep making fun of me and I'll walk out of here and tell Severus you're home early."

Sirius arched a brow in amusement. 

"I wouldn't. Because I know something you don't know," Sirius sing-songed.

"And what's that," Harry grumbled.

"Today is Draco and Severus' weekly tea time get together and if you make good on your threat and ruin my surprise then you'll have no choice but to run into Draco who you ran away from after kissing him in the middle of a fight which is why you're here in my office crying to me about it in the first place," Sirius said without losing breath, grinning triumphantly at his increasingly morose godson.

Harry said nothing, only sighing miserably and burying his face in his hands.

Sirius took pity on him, walking over to him and rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh come now, Harry, its not all bad."

"Bumph-i-ram-wah," he heard mumbled through his hands.

"Hm? Sorry. Didn't quite catch that."

"But I ran away! Who does that?" Harry said, running a hand through messy dark hair.

Sirius shrugged.

"I did."

"You?" Harry gasped, sitting straight up in his chair. "When? Why? Who did you-"

"Whoa there," Sirius said, raising a hand to calm him. "One thing at a time."

Harry nodded eagerly. Wanting to hear the story.

"It was during Hogwarts, before Severus and I got together, I was so shy and very insecure."

Harry shook his head, unable to wrap his head around it.

"You? Insecure?"

Sirius smiled kindly. "Yes believe it or not. I was a lot like you actually. You fight with Draco because you don't know how else to get his attention without being vulnerable. And Draco, well truth be told that boy is more Black than Malfoy some days. I reckon he gives as good as he gets."

He watched Harry point his gaze to fhe floor silently, unable to deny his godfather's words.

"I used to prank Severus all the time to get his attention. It only ever made him cross with me but I figured negative attention was better than none at all."

Harry began to flush and Sirius took this as a sign of getting warmer to the root of the issue.

"But see, I had an advantage you don't. We were of the same house. You and Draco have let Hogwarts house rivalries come between you."

Harry's outburst, while sudden, was expected.

"Have not! He couldn't handle sharing me with Ron and Moine and I wasn't going to be forced to choose," he insisted.

"But you did choose," Sirius said, pointedly. "And it wasn't Draco. Besides, Ron and Hermoine are Gryffindors like your father. They have the advantage of being in your house. I also take it Ron isn't too fond of Draco."

"That's because of drama between their families," Harry replied.

"Yes, families which historically fall on either Slytherin or Gryffindor. I don't have to tell you which aligns with which."

"But-"

"To be clear, Harry I'm not judging you or reprimanding you. I'm only trying to expand your perspective. Draco was very distraught by how your friendship fell out. I had to stop Severus from having words with you several times," Sirius said with a shiver," He made a strong case, too. Draco was your childhood friend. And that was before the boundaries of school houses were imposed on you. I'm asking you to consider how he felt when he thought he'd been replaced."

Harry deflated, shoulders slumping.

"I never meant to replace Draco. Besides I got replaced, too. I don't fit in with him and his fancy family and his fancy friends."

Sirius flicked him on the head.

"Ow! The hell was that for?"

"Well are you my godson or aren't you? I suppose Narcissa and Lucius also chose wrong in asking Severus to be Draco's godfather."

"W-What- no," Harry sputtered.

"You're a stubborn headed boy, you know that? Harry, _I _am one of those rich purebloods and while I had a hard time fitting into my own family I still managed to become close to Lily after Hogwarts and she was Severus' friend first. And while your father is certainly no Malfoy, he's still a pureblood wizard of significant wealth. Severus is a halfblood of humble beginnings and he is the godfather to likely the richest pureblood heir in Wizarding England. He's been so well-regarded since we were kids that I once feared I would lose his affections to Bellatrix or even Lucius and Narcissa. Besides, what have Blaise and Pansy done to you?"

"I- well- nothing? Wait... back up... you said Draco's parents and his weird goth aunt almost stole Severus from you?"

"Yes, I was gonna get to that before I was rudely interrupted by your inhuman levels of obtuseness." 

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, don't let me stop you."

"Anyway, one time I played a particularly disastrous prank on Severus. Ruined his writings that took him two hours."

Harry snickered. "He must have been furious with you."

"Oh. He was. I made it up to him by replacing the ink and parchment. Wasn't much I could do about the actual writing though. But I hated making him upset with me. For once I just wanted him to smile at me," he said, voice soft and eyes far away. "Anyway I watched him like a hawk. And it was how I discovered his true love."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Flowers."

What.

"What."

"Severus loves flowers. All Slytherins know this. It's... it's a thing," Sirius said.

"So that's it. You got him some flowers and he fell in love," Harry droned, unimpressed.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Merlin, no. If it were only so easy. No, my boy. I brought Severus a rare and beautiful flower that held every shade of blue and sparkled in the light."

"A single flower?"

Sirius nodded, smiling somewhat maniacally.

"A single flower. I was so nervous and I knew by his expression that he thought it surely must have been some new prank! Especially since I waited until he was alone. Truthfully, I didn't want to put him on the spot. It wouldn't do for us to both be embarrassed. But I was so scared of his reaction... of his rejection. I threw the flower at him and ran away. I had no idea Lucius and my cousins had already seen the whole thing."

"What happened?" Harry asked, entranced.

At this, Sirius rolled his eyes, crossing back over to his desk.

"They outshone me... obviously," he said , going around and sitting into his own chair. "The very next day Bella had the entire common room filled with floating red flowers that kissed Severus wherever his precious form deigned to move. Not to be left behind, Lucius and Narcissa followed her display with thousands of the tiniest, pure white petals that formed trees and unicorns- drawing unique attention to Severus' virginity, which he did _not_ appreciate-"

"I wouldn't either!" Harry laughed, before sobering. "So they went too far then?"

Sirius paused, searching for the right words.

"That depends," he said. "Anyone else would've had a more receptive response to give them than Severus. He was gracious about it, mind, as we are all friends. But see, it wasn't just that I'd given him a flower. I had paid attention to his need and desire, anticipated them in order to meet them. And that included giving him the gift in private. The flower was for him and the moment- had I not run off- would've been for us."

Harry's eyes widened and Sirius took pleasure in watching the beginnings of realization take root as Harry finished his godfather's thoughts.

"But the others made it public. They treated him like a prize because they were only showing him how they could love him their way. They didn't prove they understood the way he wanted to be loved the way you did."

Sirius grinned.

"Precisely. And that's exactly why Severus left to find me immediately after I'd run out of the room crying when I thought I'd be rejected. It's why he was the one who asked me to Hogsmeade in front of my competitors. And why, when I looked at his bedside table before our Hogsmeade date, it was my flower sitting there in a vase. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Despite the fact that you were an absolute shit head at first and ran away at the first whiff of flirtation," Harry deadpanned.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Harry shook his head fondly.

"Well, I don't suppose you know where I could find a special flower, do you?"

Sirius' hand flew to his chest in a dramatic display of hurt. "It's like you dont even know who I am! Of course I have the bloody flower! Wait here," Sirius ordered, quickly exiting the study, returning two minutes later out of breathe and clutching something blue and shiny and _delicate_ to his chest.

He tip toed over to Harry as if he would be caught any moment for some heinous crime.

Harry reached for the flower but Sirius held it just out if his reach.

"Aht! Aht! Listen very closely," he said, poking Harry in the chest to punctuate each word. "You are going to take this flower and present it to Draco and be _very_ _honest_ with him or I will not stop Severus from coming for you because if _he_ finds out _I_ picked one of _our_ **_special_ _flowers_** in vain and Draco is still crying about you at _next_ week's tea, I am _not_ sacrificing myself to the Snape gods for _your_ lapse in Gryffindork courage. Am I quite clear?"

Harry gulped.

"Crystal."

Sirius nodded, satisfied, placing the flower gently into his godson's still waiting hand.

"Good. Now go get him!"

Harry frowned, as Sirius made to shove him out the door.

"Wait, now? But aren't they still having tea?- and Severus still doesn't know either of us is here."

Sirius stopped abruptly.

"Shit! You're right," he said, tapping his chin with his finger, face brightening as he got an idea.

"Want to go to McDonald's? We can take the bike."

Harry stared at him for a long moment, looking into deep into his godfathers eyes before shrugging.

"Sure. I could eat."


End file.
